


loving you is easy

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan-centric, M/M, Mild Smut, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 02:50:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20056816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Donghyuck is in love with Mark. He learns that his feelings are reciprocated.





	loving you is easy

The noise is ear-piercing. Rows upon rows of seats, all filled to the brim with screaming fans. The noise bounces from wall to wall, almost like echoing inside the concert hall.

Donghyuck lets his eyes wander around the audience. At least every other fan has a light stick with them, and from where he’s standing, the audience looks like one big sea of flickering green lights. It looks beautiful.

But not as beautiful as the sight few meters to Donghyuck’s right, little closer to the edge of the stage. Mark’s standing there, still clutching his microphone in his hand, chest heaving after having just finished the last song and performance of their concert.

The ends of Mark’s hair are wet and there’s sweat forming on his forehead and on the sides of his face. It makes his skin glimmer a little under the stage lights. There’s a content smile on the older’s face. He lets his gaze wander around the concert hall, just like Donghyuck had been doing a moment earlier.

Mark’s visibly exhausted but his eyes are still shining from pure happiness when he looks at their fans. He’s so happy for being able to see their fans and provide them all of this. Even if the hard work behind it is constantly taking a toll on him.

Donghyuck thinks Mark is so beautiful, inside and out.

When they’ve done the bowing and thanking their fans for coming, they get off the stage. The screaming still continues, Donghyuck is able to hear it even when they’ve almost reached their dressing room. Or maybe it is just his ears ringing.

Mark catches up to him just as Donghyuck is about to step into the dressing room. He throws his arm around Donghyuck’s shoulders. For a second Donghyuck is slightly too self-conscious about his own sweaty torso. Then he forgets it as Mark grins at him.

“You were amazing up there”, Mark says.

“Thanks, Hyung. So were you”, Donghyuck replies smiling, getting a quick ‘thank you’ from Mark. Then Mark detaches himself from the younger and jogs up to Jaehyun. Donghyuck looks after him.

_So, so amazing._

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
Mark should sing more.

Donghyuck loves it when Mark sings and he thinks that the older should do it more often. Obviously, Mark is first and foremost a rapper and a damn good one at that, but there’s also something about his singing. He’s not talented and practiced in it the same way as Taeil and Doyoung, or Donghyuck himself, but his singing is always so genuine and beautiful in a raw way.

When Mark raps, he’s powerful, often fearless even. But when he sings, his voice is soft and calm, a little like he was slightly apprehensive about it. It is also very soothing. Soothing in a way that Donghyuck hasn’t found in anyone else’s voice yet.

Mark is sitting on the couch in their practice room, plucking his guitar and singing with a soft tune. Donghyuck is on the floor next to the couch, acting like he isn't enamored with the older and his singing. The truth is that he would like to stay like this forever, just him and Mark, surrounded by the quiet sounds of the guitar and Mark singing. Donghyuck lets his eyes wander to look at Mark.

“What are you thinking about?” Mark asks when he finishes the song.

“Nothing”, Donghyuck answers and turns his gaze away again.

_You. I’m thinking about you. Do you ever think of me?_

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
It’s very dark but Donghyuck doesn’t bother turning on the light. He knows the inside of these walls far too well to be stumbling into anything in the darkness. Donghyuck walks along the quiet hallway, his socked feet making no sounds as he makes his way towards the kitchen.

Donghyuck sets the filled-up glass to his lips and downs the almost freezing cold water. Just as he’s about to put the glass to the sink, the front door opens with a bang, followed by some giggling and way too noisy shushing. Then couple pairs of feet shuffle along the hallway and disappear into their respective rooms.

Donghyuck peeks out of the kitchen and is able to make out a figure still standing next to the front door. Even in the darkness Donghyuck can immediately tell who it is.

Mark is clearly drunk. He bends down to take his shoes off but ends up falling completely over. Donghyuck stifles a laugh and goes to help the older up. He should have known that an evening out with Johnny and Jaehyun would end like this for Mark.

Drunk Mark is a very giggly Mark. Not that Mark doesn’t laugh a lot even when he’s not drunk but drunk Mark is just completely on another level. Drunk Mark is also clingy Mark. He attaches to Donghyuck immediately when the younger goes to help him up. He slurs all kinds of nonsense, accompanied by loud giggling as he lets Donghyuck drag him to his room.

Doyoung is sound asleep on his bed as Donghyuck forcibly flings Mark on the older’s respective bed. But Mark’s grip on Donghyuck is so strong that Donghyuck somehow gets flung with the older. He groans as his head hits against Mark’s as they fall on the bed. Somehow that too makes Mark just laugh more.

“Hyuck, you’re so cute. So, so cute”, Mark hums happily when Donghyuck is still awkwardly laying pretty much on top of him.

“I know Hyung, I know. You’re very cute too”, Donghyuck sighs and tries to detach himself from the drunk but deadly strong grip. Mark isn’t having any of it though. So Donghyuck is just left to wait that the older will eventually pass out.

Mark smells strongly like alcohol and his appearance is quite disheveled. And yet, embarrassingly, Donghyuck would kiss him in a heartbeat if he was allowed to. Suddenly his cheeks heat up at how close they are to each other. Luckily it doesn’t take long for Mark to fall asleep.

Donghyuck finally releases himself from Mark’s hold and stands up next to the bed. He looks at the mess of a young man in front of him and then at Doyoung who’s somehow despite the commotion still dead to the world. Then Donghyuck quickly leans to give a kiss on Mark’s forehead and whispers a ‘good night’ to him.

His mind is probably doing tricks to him, but he swears he sees Mark smiling in his sleep.

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
The change is quite subtle. Something that an outsider wouldn’t probably pay any mind to. But to Donghyuck it’s huge.

He and Mark have always spent a lot of time together. They’re best friends after all. But their closeness has always been more of an emotional than physical side. Talking and joking together, bickering probably way too much, sharing important things with each other and so on.

When it comes to physical affection, it’s usually always Donghyuck who initiates it. And Mark has always been quick to turn him down. Except for lately.

Nowadays Mark doesn’t push Donghyuck and his antics away. He lets the younger cling to him, and it even feels like he actually comes his way to be alarmingly close to Donghyuck, almost clinging to the younger himself too.

Donghyuck wants to scream.

He’s suddenly allowed physical affection with the person he’s in love with and he doesn’t know how to cope with that. He wants to scream at Mark for confusing him and giving him false hope. But the same time he’s afraid of saying anything because he’s scared that Mark will change his mind and go back to the old habit of pushing him away.

But Donghyuck can stay quiet only for so long. One evening, in the living room of their dorm, he snaps. He jumps up from the couch where he and Mark had been cuddling while watching some boring action movie. He shouts at Mark for being weird and confusing him, demanding an explanation for his new behavior. He even lets it slip that Mark’s actions make him very insecure because he’s always afraid that Mark will realize he doesn’t want this kind of closeness with Donghyuck after all.

Mark stares at Donghyuck with wide eyes as the younger goes off. When it’s finally his turn to talk, he takes Donghyuck’s hand in his and keeps an eye contact with him. He promises to the younger that this isn’t some unplanned mistake or a way to throw Donghyuck off the rails.

“I’m doing this because I really want to. I thought you’d be happy about it”, Mark says.

“Who said I’m not?” Donghyuck mumbles and pouts a little. Mark smiles brightly and then he tugs Donghyuck back on the couch with him. Even closer to him than before, as Mark drapes his arms tightly around the younger.

_I just need it to be real, that's all._

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
It is so stupid.

Donghyuck has spent the last months basically attached from the hip with Mark. They’ve had promotions after promotions and a world tour with NCT 127. Spending time in the record studio, attending to all kinds of shows, traveling in the tour bus that was eventually bound to feel too small for the amount of people they have, sharing hotel rooms and airplane rows with each other... He should be sick of Mark’s face at this point.

And yet, now that DREAM’s promotions have finally started and Donghyuck has moved into DREAM’s dorm, he misses Mark.

It’s been only a few weeks but he fucking misses the older.

So stupid.

It’s little over midnight when Donghyuck picks up his phone from the nightstand and leaves the room. He walks to the bathroom and closes the door, locking it behind him. Donghyuck sits down on the small carpet that decorates the white tile floor. He searches the right number from his phone, hesitates for a moment and then eventually presses the call button.

It takes a few beeps before Mark’s voice floats from the speaker. Comfort fills Donghyuck’s veins immediately. Mark greets him and then asks if everything’s okay. Donghyuck swallows his pride and the fear that Mark will laugh at him. He’s quiet for a moment, before then saying;

“I miss you”

Mark, too, is quiet for a minute before replying:

“I miss you too”

His voice is just a whisper, but it holds so much emotion that Donghyuck feels almost overwhelmed all of a sudden. He’s not sure if he deserves all that emotion after all.

They share what they’ve been up to lately, talking with hushed voices so that they don’t accidentally wake up anyone in their dorms. When the call finally ends, way too far into the night, Donghyuck gets up from the floor and exits the bathroom.

He sleeps much better after that.

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
Donghyuck loves what he does but that doesn’t mean days off aren’t amazing and always welcome.

The promotions for DREAM are over and Donghyuck is dragging his bags back to 127’s dorm. He turns the key in the lock and the door clicks open. Donghyuck steps inside, discarding his bags to the hallway as he slips his shoes off and walks to the living room.

His entrance must have made some noise since everyone in the living room turns to look at him. There are enthusiastic greetings thrown around, some ruffling of hair and patting on the back and shoulders.

The commotion lures rest of the members from their rooms. Donghyuck can spot the tuft of familiar black hair from the corner of his eye. He turns to look at Mark and both of them break into a bright smile immediately when making an eye contact.

Donghyuck doesn’t even try to contain himself, but instead straight up runs to Mark’s arms. The older hugs him tightly for a minute before releasing Donghyuck enough to be able to look at his face. The younger raises his hands on Mark’s cheeks and pulls the older to a kiss.

Everything else disappears for a moment. Donghyuck can hear some unfunny person screaming about their eyes, but he doesn’t pay any mind to it. Only thing that matters in this moment is Mark’s lips on his and the feeling of being home that it brings. When they break the kiss, Mark leaves another peck on Donghyuck’s cheek, making the younger smile in happiness.

Later they’re lying on Mark’s bed, Donghyuck resting his head on Mark’s shoulder. The older is absentmindedly yet very softly running his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair. The action causes slight but satisfactory goose bumps travel across the younger’s skin.

“I’m sure you know this already, but I really love you”, Mark whispers.

“I’m sure you know that I will never get tired of hearing that. And I love you too. So much”, Donghyuck whispers back and flicks Mark’s nose with his finger.

The older retaliates by blowing air into Donghyuck’s ear.

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
Sometimes it’s really hard to not be allowed to tell the world about their relationship.

Their members know about it but no one else does. The public doesn’t see the change. Promotions come and go, Mark and Donghyuck don’t sit next to each other in interviews and reality shows so often anymore. Mark acts as his old self and Donghyuck concentrates on clinging more to Johnny and Taeil when the cameras are rolling. But, of course, they give out some Markhyuck content time to times to avoid being too suspicious and feeding the conspiracy theories some fans are so keen on making up.

Donghyuck has to hide the most important thing in his life. He has to keep quiet when all he wants to do is shout it from the rooftops.

To think that this could ruin everything for him and Mark. That if it were to come out, them just loving another person would most likely be the end of their careers and the respect many people have for them.

It is so incredibly unfair.

“I fucking hate it”, Donghyuck says to Mark, his voice borderline desperate. The practice room is empty save for them and almost all the lights have been turned off. Occasional honk of a car horn can be heard from the street next to the building. Donghyuck has his legs brought up to his chest and arms wrapped around them. He’s hiding his face against his knees.

Mark reaches to grab Donghyuck’s hand in his and intertwines their fingers, “I know. I hate it so fucking much too. We just have to believe that this society will change for better with time”, Mark says quietly.

Donghyuck lifts his face and looks at Mark’s uncertain eyes. He nods.

_I really hope so. But if not, I hope you know that for you, I will hide it forever if needed._

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
Mark’s hands burn like fire against Donghyuck’s bare skin. But the older’s cold lips feel like ice as he presses them on the spot right above Donghyuck’s collarbone. Donghyuck lets out a content sigh as Mark sucks on his skin. The realization that it’ll leave a mark makes the younger giddy.

But the giddiness slowly dissipates and gets replaced by nervousness and anticipation as they back up towards the bed. Donghyuck catches Mark’s lips to a proper kiss right before his legs hit the edge of the bed. The bed makes a creaking sound as Donghyuck falls on it, his bare back against the already wrinkled sheets. It’s such a fitting sound to the situation that it makes them both let out a quiet laugh.

Donghyuck pulls Mark half on top of him and connects their lips again. He can hear and feel his rapid heartbeat thumping in his ears. Donghyuck wants this. He wants this so bad but that doesn’t mean he isn’t nervous to the core.

Donghyuck raises his hand on Mark’s bare chest for a moment. The older’s heart is beating just as fast as his. It makes Donghyuck feel a little less nervous. It’s a reminder that this is new to Mark too.

Deep kisses and biting marks, hands roaming everywhere, friction and grinding, pants getting off... It’s all quite messy. But the pace changes when Mark prepares Donghyuck. He’s doing it patiently, almost in delicate manner. Donghyuck wonders if it’s because Mark’s so nervous but then the older whispers that he just doesn’t want to hurt Donghyuck.

Donghyuck is filled with a warm feeling. It is _Mark_ who he’s doing this with. The person he loves to the moon and back and who he trusts one hundred percent. The previous nervousness disappears and Donghyuck can finally let himself enjoy this to the fullest.

When Mark finally pushes into him, it’s nothing like Donghyuck had imagined before. It’s a lot better. He can’t keep the moans and whines from escaping his lips as the older picks up the pace. For half a second Donghyuck is worried if he should be embarrassed by it, but then again, whatever sound comes out of Mark, Donghyuck loves it, so it’s probably same for Mark when it comes to him.

It doesn’t take too long for both of them to come, they’re so inexperienced in this after all. Donghyuck spills his sperm all over the sheets, as Mark comes into his condom a moment later while still inside Donghyuck. With a groan he pulls out and then plops down next to the younger. Donghyuck is still coming down from the high and the bliss that the orgasm had caused.

“Are you okay?” Mark asks, perhaps slightly worried, after catching his breath.

“I am perfect”, Donghyuck answers with a wide smile on his face while turning properly towards Mark. He leans to give the older a soft kiss on the lips. Mark smiles to it.

They’re both feeling perfect.

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
Donghyuck looks around the concert hall. It’s the biggest one they’ve ever performed in. In just a few hours it’ll be filled with their fans who have yet again come their way to see them and show their endless love for NCT.

Mark walks up to him on the empty stage in the almost empty concert hall. He drapes his arm around the younger’s shoulders.

“It’s huge, isn’t it?” Mark asks as he lets his eyes roam the premises.

“It is. It’s going to be our biggest concert yet. I read online how people have even travelled from other countries to see us. Crazy right? And I mean the good crazy. How did we even deserve this?”

Mark hums and turns his gaze to Donghyuck, “Well, you deserve the world. All our fans must know that”, he smiles.

Donghyuck snorts but can’t help it when a stupidly-in-love-with-that-dork smile raises to his face. He looks at the empty audience again, before turning his eyes to meet with Mark’s dark ones.

There are no more words exchanged, but their eyes tell the exact same thought.

_All of this here is like a dream come true. But you’re still the best thing that could have ever happened to me._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Maybe let me know what you think? ♡
> 
> (In case it isn't completely clear; they get together somewhere between the scenes of Donghyuck screaming at Mark and the phone call)


End file.
